AT&T broadband users will soon face a cap on the amount of internet data they can download a month.

AT&T broadband users will soon face a cap on the amount of internet data they can download a month.

AT&T broadband users will soon face a cap on the amount of internet data they can download a month.

ATT USERS BEWARE!

ATT is setting a limits on the amount of Download (Bandwith) you can use for DSL subscribers CNN posted this MSG today in its tech section. TELL ATT this wont be tolerated. If your like me watching vids via netflix, or CNN news streaming media or online gaming (Flight Sim X online) you will meet this limit very fast and be forced to pay more with 10.00 per every 50GB downloaded. Please help us reverse ATT decision on this poor choice.

CALL / EMAIL ATT AND SAY NO TO THIS POLICY!

(WIRED) -- AT&T broadband users will soon face a cap on the amount of internet data they can download a month.

Traditional DSL users will be capped at 150 GB per month, while subscribers to the fiber-backed UVerse system have a 250-GB limit. Usage over that will be charged at $10/month for 50 GB, the company says.

The company says that currently only a small percentage of users -- around 2% -- use this much data a month. If that's the case, it's not clear why the company is bothering to install the caps.

It is, however, the same rationale (and the same usage stat) that the company relied upon to explain why it would be capping iPhone data plans last summer, which had hitherto been "unlimited."

DSL and UVerse connect fairly directly to a hub -- unlike cable connections where users share a local loop that can become congested. Bulk-bandwidth costs for an ISP are a tiny portion of its business costs, and those prices continue to fall even as users consume more and more data.

So, how could a user end up hitting these caps? Streaming video such as HD movies from Netflix, using bittorrent to download movies and heavy gaming with services like Steam can easily eat up lots of data, especially in households with multiple heavy internet users.

Time Warner Cable tried going further with trials of a service that imposed very low limits for users, which led to a furor among users and lawmakers.

There's little data to demonstrate whether large ISPs actually are experiencing real issues with congestion. Skeptics see the limits as ways to discourage cable video customers from "cutting the cord" and getting their video online, or as a way to pocket profits instead of re-investing in bulking up their infrastructure.

Derek Turner, the research director for the net neutrality advocacy group Free Press says the limits will discourage online innovation, and that with the growth curve of internet usage, the limits will soon catch many internet user.

"When ISPs force their customers to watch the meter, experimentation, innovation and business will suffer," Turner said.

"AT&T's actions are another troubling symptom of a broadband market that lacks meaningful competition, and this move may be the start of a race to the bottom among other providers to see who can squeeze its customers the most. At worst, this is a plan designed to discourage cord-cutting and pad profits; at best, this is another example of an antiquated phone-company business model being forced onto an otherwise vibrant and limitless marketplace."

Re: AT&T broadband users will soon face a cap on the amount of internet data they can download a

you telll them im proud to stand up and see a real american tell it like it is. you are fighting for our country u dont need this neither does ur family or mine .our flag colors never run and we as att custmers will not run either stand up america.

Re: AT&T broadband users will soon face a cap on the amount of internet data they can download a

I find it surprising that the company said "Our approach is based on customers' feedback," said Mark Siegel, spokesman for AT&T." I dont recall being asked for any feedback nor do i know of anyone that has. I think this is a ploy to extort customers with extra fees and penalties. Ive had several run ins with att customer service already regarding fees on my account that were put there by (mistake). I will be put on a 150GB cap i guess...and pray that with all the movies i watch on netflix and the online gaming, i wont go over the cap. If it becomes a problem, I will be canceling my service and go with a company that takes care of its customers. ATT needs to spend more time upgrading its internet infrastructure than worrying about robbing its customers

DSL Caps is more involved that you think!!

At first I really wasn't concerned about the 150 gig cap that ATT has implemented. If I were I would have already sought another service for our Telephone and DSL. But tonight I had just paid my bill and decided to check our usage... just to see what is what. I was suddenly alarmed at the fact that it is the 5th of May and we have already used over 1 Gig. I couldn't believe that we had used that much. But here is the stink of it all. If you are a single person and are the only one using the internet, then 150 Gig isn't a big deal at all. But there are four of us using the net. Of course it will be more than 150 Gig. That is absolutely discrimination pure and simple! ATT is pleased to have and keep you if your an Individual Customer. But families just use too much bandwidth and they don't want them as customers any longer. The deal is that a utility company isn't like other businesses. They are not allowed to discriminate this way. Now I am angry. It isn't just about the Gig cap any longer. Now it's personal.

Re: AT&T broadband users will soon face a cap on the amount of internet data they can download a

I have reported them to the FCC and BBB. I also plan on contacting my states attorny office to see if they are violating the any of my consumer rights by renigging on our contract. I signed up for unlimited and I am going to get unlimited.

Re: AT&T broadband users will soon face a cap on the amount of internet data they can download a

att is verry lucky that i am no paying for their internet or i would of changed company's as soon as i heard about them capping. i don't believe them saying that it will only affect around 2% of the users. its probably more like 30-50% and this allows them to just charge and extra $10. their excuse is pathetic imo as DSL isn't on the same technology as cable where how many people are on dose affect how fast the internet is so it isnt affected by the same congestion problems. if they are having congestion problems then they need to rethink their network structure to alleviate the problem.

Re: AT&T broadband users will soon face a cap on the amount of internet data they can download a

@SterlingPC

"I have reported them to the FCC and BBB. I also plan on contacting my states attorny office to see if they are violating the any of my consumer rights by renigging on our contract. I signed up for unlimited and I am going to get unlimited."

Trust me when I say this. I did exactly what SterlingPC did especially with contacting Connecticuts Department of Consumer Protection Agency and ATT was on my phoneline bending over backwards to fix my problems. Don't waste your time with this forum or ATTs customer service. CT DCP is due for another detailed letter. Make your tax dollars do some work.

Re: AT&T broadband users will soon face a cap on the amount of internet data they can download a

Um... I wonder if AT&T realizes that companies like HughsNet already have low customer ratios because of this same cap to their service?

Capping a landline is basically stupid and a begging for people to leave the service. They don't realize that the internet isn't just people downloading files. People use the internet for gaming, telephone service, television, and all sorts of things that actually go far beyond a 20~150 GB quota. And changing a person 1 dollar per GB used over the quota? What the heck man?

Seriously, the average user who's always doing things on the internet and people who have home based businesses like IT technicians download nearly double to quadruple their planned cap rates, and if someone says "why don't you have a business class internet connection"... not all of us IT Technicians actually make enough money to afford a business class DSL service.

I'll be glad when some company starts free DSL services like fastfreedialup did with dial-up internet... or at least companies like Verizon get the ability to market where I live to give us a choice and competition.

Looks like California's Better Business Bureau and out version of the Department of Consumer Protection will get some letters as well.

Re: AT&T broadband users will soon face a cap on the amount of internet data they can download a

If you use McAfee. Click on navigation. Then scroll down to traffic monitor. It will show the current data usage on that desktop computer. If you have more than one machine then goto each one and add up the numbers.